The Wish
by kage66
Summary: Never wish for more than you can handle. Harry won the war, did the cleanup and is now left alone /?/ with his life without purpose... Hermione thinks of old times and makes a wish. firstfic. Will be HHr in later chapters. Rated for what might come.
1. A Wish

_Never wish for more than you can handle._

By kage66

* * *

Harry thinks he is not happy with his life. But he shouldn't have wished for the change.

In the year 2008 England is peaceful. Voldemort had been vanquished, and in the following years the aurors persecuted every single Deatheater. Even some sympathizers were put to the ever busy mill of courts. Almost a bit like Nazi-Germany in the forties. But this story is not about the wrongs done to get rid of a big evil. It is rather about a single wish. And what came from it.

Great Britain was irenic, as Hermione would put it. It was pacified, quiet, ... in short: boring. Especially when your'e job was to hunt evildoers. And Harry never new anything else. His whole life started with war, that bloody prophecy forced the fight on him, and now? Some people might get tired after decades of fighting. But they new peaceful childhoods, they _know_ different. Harry does not. To him a year without a confrontation seems empty. As the dark forces, or rather dispersed darklings as the perpetrators had been becoming younger every year, became few and fewer Hermione did her trick again: she studied all there was to dark magic, pure-blood legacies, and later even member lists of certain nightclubs, to supply Harry with ever new fights to be fought. But this year she finally had to admit it:

"Harry?" she asked him over lunch at the ministry.

"Hmm?", "You're almost finished with that coven I dug out last November, I realize?"

That made him listen up. Hermione usually didn't ask rhetorical questions. And as she herself was handling the paper war at the ministry, should know better than him that they had sprung the small circle of darklings last month. No one even of age, but a dark coven nevertheless. Something must bothering her, something she felt uncomfortable to talk about.

"Yea, finished that last month. Why? Is there some problem with the paperwork? You know I'm not good at it, but I got nothing better to do, so I might as well help out..."

Her face darkened, that answer said everything she feared. Harry was bored. He never did paperwork. Since Hogwarts she had to drag him to everything that included parchment, or even worse, a quill.

"No, its just..." she hesitated.

"What? Tell me? Another coven? A few kids playing blood sacrifice? Or some Death Eaters wife teaching dark magic?" He somehow got fired up. Anything was better than this... this... waiting and doing nothing...

"None of that. On the contrary, I didn't find even a hint of anything to do. I even triple checked all former Slytherins and relatives to the 5th Grade..."

"You what? I thought you got enough from that Club 'Sal'..." he was flabbergasted, when Hermione hit the 'Books' she _always_ came up with something, right?

"No, that club has enacted some old blood magic to enforce its members to not go bad. True, allmembers pure bloods and Slytherins to core, but to protect the clubs existence they made all members do a blood contract to not go against the anti Voldemort laws. After some spontaneous incinerations they are now clean as they can be. Barbaric these blood contracts, but there is no law against it. They are too much of a custom in old pure blood families..." She trailed a bit off topic. Any topic was better than this after all. But... Sometime she _had_ to go through this, she should have gone through this 2 years ago...

"But what about next months work? That third squad of aurors will be ready to go on a mission, and its become kinda customary to go on the first mission under me..." Harry said with mixed feelings. After all he didn't like being the center of affection, especially with the girls (last 4 years worth of new aurors were over ¾ girls). But on the other hand he had found the arrangement soothing. After one mission he was rid of them and could do his thing. And when things got messy he already knew who not to take on a large scale mission. Not that there had been one in the last 3 years or so.

"Sorry Harry, but... " she hesitated, then finished in a rush: "icantfindanythingforyoutodoanymore"

"Sorry?"

"Were done... The department for prevention of dark magic is doing their job well, nothing to do... Except you might want to do some desperate housewife hunting, or break up some bar fight..." Harry had always refused to do anything auror like that didn't have to do with dark magic. He was a top notch auror after all, and not some kind of empowered muggle police officer. But Hermione teased him with this far too often to actually respond.

And to make things worse, Shacklebolt, the head of the magical law enforcement choose just that moment to drop by and congratulate:

"Ah, Mr. Potter! Good work! Were finally there where everything should be. You can finally relax. Only thing left to do is a bit publicity. Now that you don't have much else to do, how about that reception next month? We expect some VIPs from Germany, France and Italy who still have a lingering problem with leftovers from Grindelwald. Who better to talk to than the famous Chosen One that rid us of ours?" he laughed, "The reception is on the evening of the 25th but the diplomats with their dark arts specialists will be arriving the day before. I'll expect you at 13 hundred hours at the international portkey area." And not waiting for an answer he was gone again.

Silence.

Hermione found her voice first: "That... that was audacious..."

She looked at Harry. Knowing all to well, that he hated this whole publicity stuff. But, that one thing was true: he had nothing else to do, she herself had looked into it, and if Hermione Granger did look into something, what she found out was how it is. Not knowing what to do, unbidden old feelings came up. She had loved Harry for a long time now, but somehow always found a way around starting anything serious. After all, he was taken, somehow, right? First Cho, then Ginny, but as both didn't work out, and all these fan girls freaked Harry out, he stopped dating or rather dated his work. Well she was always with him. OK she tried that thing with Ron, but after the war they started to fight more and more. He complained her job was taking too much time, and she, well, she couldn't get with his idea to become professional. He was Captain of the Cannons and toured the world... So they parted. After that she was always with Harry, as his researcher, his supporter, his friend.

Theirs was a professional relationship right? That being said there was no room for romance. Logic forbid it, and what logic forbid, Hermione would not do. Its as easy as that. At least at first glance. But then. On days like this, when he looked so... Lonely, unloved, unneeded. And finally somehow perused as some figurehead. She couldn't help but feel. She grabbed for his hand like she had done so often those many years back when they faced danger together. All those years before, when Hogwarts, a school that should be totally safe, became a place of evil that Halloween night the Troll surprised her in the girls toilet. She looked in his eyes and, was smitten. Those eyes looked lost. Active fight was his purpose, his reason to be. And now they wanted him to be what? Some 'celebrity' as Snape had put it in their first year? Holding his hands tight, and looking in those green pools, these empty green pools she made a wish. A wish right from her heart, bypassing her intellect. A wish often regretted, although not only bad came from it:

"I wish it would not be over like that. I wish we could move on. I wish I could find something for you to do."

And brightest which of her age called forth some ancient magic without knowing what she was actually doing. As she spoke this threefold wish a flame appeared in those green eyes. Well, not fire as such, but they were not empty any longer, although Harry still looked lost. Something was happening. And soon they should find out just how painfully true her threefold wish should become. The reception was on the 25th right? Well, before that, you need to get through the 24th...

TBC

* * *

_**kage:**_ well... That's what happens if you want to start slow and do only a One shot... You get an introduction to a long storyline. Hope you didn't fall asleep half way through. It's just that my head is so full and this page is so small, that I cant really fit everything on it.

Situation in short: Harry won the war, but lost his reason to live in small portions. Ron and Ginny got bored and went playing Quidditch. They didn't get why Harry could not be happy now that he could stop playing hero. Only Hermione stood her ground and helped him as she always did... (If all things go well I might write some Story about how this situation came to be. Bear with it for now.)


	2. A Secret Shrine

Disclaimer: Ah well, I know I'm playing. I won't hurt them, much, and give them back how they were, almost.

Potential Spoilers: The setting is long after the war after all. Only thing that might not fit completely is the epilogue... So I strongly suggest that you support Rowling, and read all her books before continuing with my little wish...

* * *

She was enjoying the late bloom of the cherry blossoms, the flower that was the symbol of her country. Mid April, the blossoms were late this year, but their beauty would not hold for much longer. The rains had been hurting the oh so delicate buds for two days now, and in the dry ours of this Fridays afternoon, the wind blow them across the street, almost like snowflakes, only not to melt, but be stomped to ugly gruel by the thousands of feet coming and going every day. She should be happy that she actually got 3 weeks of beautiful light ping blossoms, verging on white. Ah yes, white the colour of maidenhood and innocence. She gathered the folds of her kimono and got up. Way past time to go home, she had lots to do, before the spring ceremony at meishi-jingu the local shrine. Well not that local. Ancient as it was, the shrine was not located near the not any more so little dwelling. And the spirits were not very forthcoming this time of year, so she actually had to walk the whole way up the mountain path. And her new kimono was certainly not made for the walk. So she went home, to take a short shower and change into more comfortable clothing, although not less traditional. A pure white kimono and her hakama, a dark purple verging on blue was a uncommon colour for an hakama, as they were mostly red, but this was on of the lesser specialities about meishi-jingu. With long practised ease she bound her hair with a white and a purple ribbon. And was on her way to the mountain path, if you could call it a path. Only two people knew of that way to the hidden shrine, and the last 6 years it had been only her that walked it. So the 'path' was rather a memory of landmarks to not get lost than a visible trail trodden by many feet over the years. There were trails at that mountain, but they al skirted the shrine, and the wood spirits made sure, no one started a new one too near to the actual shrine.

Mika was late again. Always lying out in the afternoon winds and showing off her kimono. Well enjoying the powers of nature _was_ a part of her duties, but did she have to make him wait? The ritual could have been started two hours ago. They would have been finished not half into the night, and might even get a late dinner. But now they would finish at midnight at the earliest, cleaning up and preparing for bed would take another hour. And they did have to get up early tomorrow. Well at least it was Mikas turn to clean up the ashes. He hated that task...

Sato was fuming, even though the waterfall was supposed to help him clean his mind of any stray thought, all he could think of was that he would get no dinner today. To the outside, if anyone would have watched, Sato was totally calm. Floods of water were pushing down his head and shoulders, and his yukata was not keeping the cold off him.

The forces of nature were strong in this waterfall. Unusually so, and not only the fall itself, the grotto behind it, in which the main shrine was built was filled to the brim with power. And even so it was almost not enough. They needed to finish that ritual today to keep the worst from happening. Unlike most shrines this one didn't hold kami, youkai oni, and the spirits of nature were not the reason the shrine was built, rather the opposite. These spirits were gathered to hold something not from this isles. Over four hundred years ago, some wand weavers came with the western traders, and brought with them no goods, but a very dark secret. The dark forces were not unknown on the isles but before they always came together with muggle military. So they could be pushed back by the kamikaze, the divine wind, but that new force was coming slowly like a weak venom, you're body doesn't register at first, but cant get rid off, so it builds over time. Yes like lead poisoning... How they managed to stop them, no one knew, but on thing is clear: In the innermost chamber of the main shrine was no kami, no god or spirit, not even a simple daemon or – ah well yokai or oni... You could get along with them, if you wanted to. But the thing here had to be enshrined and sealed more strongly than anyone would be able to these days... And to ensure no one needed to know, they needed to finish this blasted ritual. Sato usually liked rituals, he could dress up, and the townspeople would cheer him on. But here in meishi-jingu no one would watch him. Well Mika would, but she didn't count.

Lost in these thoughts Sato almost didn't see her arrive – finally. He got up and as always his mind went blank as it should have been for all the time he was under the waterfall. Now totally at ease inside and out, he let Mika dress him up in that ridiculous outfit. Traditional Japanese clothing wasn't supposed to have buttons, zippers, or other mechanisms to lose, it was bound and folded. But this raiment seemed as someone oblivious to western style clothing had been tought the mere looks and started to apply them to traditional ritual clothing. To the effect that you couldn't button it up, but not bind and fold it either. He never knew how Mika managed to actually fit that garb, but as he couldn't fit it himself, even if he knew, he didn't care.

They started to position the tools for the ritual on the small natural platform between the waterfall itself and the grotto behind it, when they heard a deep and reverberating crack, that was more felt in their stomachs than heard. Something had just went horribly, horribly wrong...

* * *

"What just happened?" Harry asked perplexed. He had felt a deep current of power changing. As if the Leyline the ministry was built on shifted. But that was the most stable line in all of Great Britain! It was virtually impossible to shift! But what if it did? All the wards, charms, and enchantments that made the ministry what it was: the centre of magical Britain, the Point to arrive and depart on international port key jumps, and last but not least the source of the not so old magic that prevented aircraft and satellites to see magical communities, as it prevented them to see these muggle flying machines, they all were powered by the Leyline itself. So if it really changed, there would be hell of a problem, stabilizing the port key jumps. Not to mention keeping the muggles from witnessing magical communities and beasts.

Well, we all know how the ministry likes to hush up things. And guess how many people even know of the Leyline? Actually feeling it is something quite rare in the wizarding world. No one knew why some wizards and witches feel them, and others don't. On one hand its not a given ability like Parseltongue granted with birth, but on the other hand it's not a learned ability either. Merlin himself had a couple of witches and wizards trying to teach him the ability. But as powerful as he was, he never felt the Leylines.

"What just happened?" Harry still needs to be answered and explained what he just felt to Hermione. And Hermione, after contemplating all of the above left the table at the lunchroom in a hurry. Harry, watching her leave for the Department of Mysteries, shook his head. There she went all Hermione again, hitting the books. He finished his lunch, and returned to their office to continue sulking. Yea, a bit more self pity wouldn't hurt. That's all he did after Shacklebolt told him about his next job two weeks ago. At least if Hermione let him.

Hermione didn't know what to think... Umm... didn't know how to feel would be more apropriate here, Hermione did know what to think about after all: Why did this happen just when... And then it hit her: "The Wish" she wispered, and packed a couple of books on 'ancient' magic. Well actually they were about magic invoked without wands, incantations rituals and stuff, so were frowned upon in the wizarding community, but not ancient per se, as they still worked today. And if her hunch was not completely off, they had one case of wishing to see through. "So, how exactly did I phrase that wish again?" she mumbled on her way back to the office. Harry will help her sort through the books, no matter how much he despises book work...

* * *

It's a weird feeling being on the receiving end of reviews. Didn't think they could be _that_ supportive. Thanks!

lector: you like you're can of worms raw or well done? ;)

I hope you will injoy this second chapter at least as much as you did the first.


	3. Muggel Transportation

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter novels. I do not earn a single Yen doing this.

Possible Spoilers: This is a story long after the war, and as such can have spoilers for all of Rowlings books. Do yourselves a favour and read them first.

* * *

**Muggle Transportation**

She couldn't sleep. She never could on a plane. It's not that it is something new for her after all, her parents had taken her to several foreign countries on holidays before, but she never came to be able to sleep on plains. And she was too busy thinking anyway.

Hermione J. Granger, young witch and employee to the Ministry of Magic, was taking a very muggle way of transport. Not that it is something special, she is muggle born after all. Special is the fact that said ministry paid the transportation fee gladly, once she explained how that form of transportation works... Within a few hours they would arrive at Narita Airport, Japan, on the first mission to a foreign country since Grindlewald. The British government had cut off most ties to its neighbours when the problems with the dark lord Voldemort arose. The attempt to mend this breach a few hours ago had ended in a disaster.

Magical transportation had its merits, if it was only a few kilometres, and no military grade wards to cross. But international portkeys as well as international apparition were a different matter. Muggle customs where at airports and other traffic ways along the border. Magic customs was a different matter. To prevent unauthorized entry heavy wards have been placed on the border of every country and keyed into the the government itself. In England the key was the crown, handed down from ruler to ruler. These wards prevented any magical transportation. To go to a foreign country you needed to have a entry and exit point keyed into the involved countries. Meaning, you had to arrive in the international portkey or apparition areas. Both types of travel where restricted along the main Leylines of the earth, so the exit was quite easy to 'find' without the traveller, or portkey actually knowing the exact location. You just went 'that direction' and let yourself pop out the next exit. So a government could change the exact location of their international travelling bureau any time, without having to tell the whole world to arrive 15 metres to the east and 5 metres up...

Unfortunately the main Leyline of Magical Britain didn't hit the room prepared for the arrival of several international representatives. Not any more. What happened was that the French, arriving first, splinched themselves so badly, the mediwitches and -wizards didn't know if they would ever fully recover. So much for the safe portkey travel. In short: after additional charms and safety wards the rest of the expected diplomats arrived, if not safe, so at least conscious. The reception committee just turned to leave when another international portkey arrived. "Incoming Portkey, clear the arrival area." the witch at the ward controls stated. "We don't expect anyone else, where does it come from! Didn't they get the warning not to use our exit point?"

"Tracing their entrypoint. Distance: 1300 kilometres, Asia ..." the witch stated in a monotone voice, concentrating on the ward controls. "Got it! Origin is Japan, but they didn't use the official entry point. I didn't know you could use unregistered gates to the international routes without serious trouble getting past the wards."

Kingsley listened up. "Send a report to MLE, I want to know where exactly, how, and why they got in there!"

"This will not be necessary. I explain you." Said a bald man in a heavy accent, that just arrived that moment with a beautiful girl by his side. She had raven black hair, and almost white skin. Both were wearing traditional Japanese clothing and arrived without any inconveniences.

Immediately 16 wands were trained on the two, and Kingsley asked: "Who are you! Why should I not put you into Azkaban first thing?"

"Now now, no need to be that threatening Kingsley" Arthur Weasly, Minister of Magic, said. "Although I am curious, too: Who are you, what do you want, and ... how did you manage to arrive without problems although there is something wrong on our end of the Network."

"Okeyama Saito. Pleased to meet you" Said the man with a bow, as the girl followed with uncertainty in her voice: "Arasaki Hanami to moushimasu." Obviously she didn't speak English, but she bowed as well (A/N:in Japan ppl of both genders bow - there is no curtsy - and they do so **often**).

"You are a representative for the Japanese Government?" Kingsley interrupted impatiently.

"Sorry for inconvenience, but we need help from juuropa magic users. Old evil from juuropa is standing up again. Putting down is impossible for Shinto users. Already has damaged network of energy lines."

The old man stumbled through his explanation and not much later they were on board the plane to Narita Airport. Obviously they had something behind wards for thousands of years and now they needed a wizard to put it down, after the wards failed on them. But what was this – juuropa evil, as the old man put it? And why did they need someone from Britain? Or any other European Country at that?

Not getting anywhere with this, she turned to take a look at the young man next to her. Harry J. Potter had been very excited when they first entered the plane, but soon got bored. He saw much more of the world below from his Firebolt. And now that they were above the clouds, and on the night side of the Earth, no less, there was nothing to see. The inside of the plane was noisy, and the air smelled filtered and unnatural. He tried to read, to sleep, or simply talk with Hermione, but nothing really worked for him. He felt uncomfortable until Hermione had had enough and silently cast a sleeping charm on him.

She had to smile as his head had flopped onto her shoulder about an hour ago, and he was drooling onto her sweater. She couldn't say why, but his presence calmed her. Her worried thoughts came to an end, and she herself was able to relax. She would need any sleep she could get, what with the time difference and all...

She closed her book, leaned back and soon joined Harry in dreamland.

* * *

_Sorry for making you all wait for so long. I had a bit of a writers block, and just write and post these Chapters as they come. Also I am proud to announce that I finally managed to get a contract to teach German and/or English here in Japan. I hope you are still with me, and enjoy this._

_I'm still not sure when and how often I will be able to post updates, please bear with me. I'll try and not make you wait this long again. (at least I will make sure to have a good cliffhanger before disappearing again)_

_About the story: I know its still too early for you to see where it goes, but let it be known, that I am open to any suggestions. I have a fair idea what is going on, but these four young adults seem to have ideas of their own. That leaves enough freedom to allow for any ideas you might have._


End file.
